Tears To Shed
by TheNewBrokenEEB
Summary: "The pain here that I feel, try and tell me it's not real. For it seems that I still have a tear to shed." Elia Jones was no stranger to pain and loneliness. Being alive for centuries tended to do that to a girl. But when Adam's flesh and Adam's bone return to Narnia, the realm may just have need for their guardian once more.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first story posted on here in a while, so sorry if I'm a little rusty. But yeah. Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own character, and any plot changes I may make to accommodate her story line.**

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Bombs dropped left and right, destroying what had once been the Pevensies' home. Everyone was to get in the bomb shelter, but Edmund, the youngest Pevensie boy, at the age of thirteen, had another idea. He sprinted back into the house, Peter running after him shouting, "Edmund! You idiot, get back here!" but he continued running until he reached the living room. Seeing the broken picture frame, he grabbed ahold of it just as Peter yanked on his arm and began dragging him back towards the shelter.

When they reached it, Peter began to shout at his younger brother, "You idiot, you could have gotten us killed!" Edmund gave a broken stare to his siblings and mother. He set down the frame to reveal a man underneath the broken glass. "I couldn't leave dad behind." his voice choked out. Mrs. Pevensie pulled him into a motherly embrace as Peter spoke in almost a whisper, "Why can't you just do as you're told?"

It was the day all mothers and children were hoping would not come. Today, the city was evacuating all children to the countryside. As the maneuvered through the crowd, Lucy clung to her mother's side, silently sobbing into her coat. "Tickets!" a man in uniform shouted. "Hand in your tickets right here!""Now," the mother of four started as she looked at all her children. "Give your tickets to the man, take your pass, and make sure you stay together." They solemnly nodded their heads. "I love you all so much. Now go." She ushered them off as tears began to well in her eyes. She watched as her children board the train. She waved and smiled as she watched them ride off, before she finally let her tears fall.

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"There will be no running, no shouting, no. . ." Mrs. Macready droned on as she took on a tour of the house. The Pevensie children were to be staying in Professor Diggory Kirke's home in the country until it was deemed safe to return home. Following the house keeper up the stairs, Susan reached to touch a vase when Mrs. Macready turned around. "No! touching of the historical artifacts." she shouted. "And above all, the professor is not to be disturbed. Your rooms are just this way." ad they continued on.

Later that night, as they all sat in Lucy's room, listening to the radio, they participated in light conversation. "The sheets are scratchy." young Lucy quietly spoke as she attempted to avoid crying. "Don't worry, Lucy." the eldest daughter Susan consoled, we'll be back in our beds at home in no time. After all, this isn't forever." Edmund scoffed as he stood up. "Yeah, if there's anything left of home."

"Oh grow up Ed." Susan scolded her younger brother. "Yes mum." came his sarcastic reply. Peter, the eldest of them all, turned to Lucy and spoke in a gentle tone. "Just you wait. This place is huge. We'll be able to do anything we want." This brought a cheeky grin to Lucy's face as her siblings wished her goodnight, and left her room. She laid back, pulled up the covers, and fell into a wonderful, dream filled sleep.

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The next morning, the Pevensies woke, much to their chagrin, to a rainy sky. They got dressed, went down to eat their breakfast, and proceeded to try and pass the time playing games in the library. "Gastrovascular" Susan read from the book she was holding. Peter ignored her as he listened to the radio. "Come on, Peter. Gastrovascular." she spoke again with a hint of annoyance laced in her voice. groaning, Peter turned towards her before speaking. "Is it latin?" She nodded.

"Is it latin for 'Worst game ever invented'?" Edmund chimed in snarkily. In order to avoid any arguments, Lucy quietly asked, "Peter, can we play hide and seek?" Edmund groaned, while Peter ad Susan shared skeptical looks. "Come on Peter, please." Lucy looked up at him with large brown puppy eyes and pouted lips. "Pretty please?"

Peter smiled. "One, two, three. . ." Edmund groaned. "Oh come one." he shouted as Peter continued to count. They all ran off.

Lucy ran down a hallway, testing all the doors to see which ones would open. So far, none. But as she approached the end of then hall, she was shocked as she turned the knob of a door, and it opened. She could faintly hear the sound of Peter's voice as she walked in. The only structure stood in the middle of the large room, covered by a white sheet. Slowly, Lucy approached it before pulling the sheet down, revealing a large, beautiful, wooden wardrobe. She opened the door and, without looking, she entered it.

Elsewhere. . .

Elia, or Eli as she preferred to be called, ran through the forest of Narnia, heading towards Lantern Waste. As she ran, she listened to the whispers of the trees. She froze when she heard a tree melodically speak four short words to her. "A queen has arrived."

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 **So I know that this chapter is kinda short, but with some of my other stories, the problem was that they were so long that they took forever to write, and I would lose interest in them before finishing it. But yeah, hope you enjoyed. Follow, Favorite, Review. Oh and if you wouldn't mind checking out my Wattpad account (TheNewBrokenEEB), that'd be great. I might be posting this on here too. Let me know if I should.**

 **Ba-Ba-Booey**

B


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry I haven't updated in like, months. I know, I'm a piece of shit, with severe commitment issues, but hey, at least I'm doing it now.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia, blah blah blah. You know, the likes.**

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The chill wind bit at her cheeks as Eli ran through the forest she had called home for so many years. Memories flooded through her mind before she quickly shook them away. A queen had just arrived for the first time in over a century, she couldn't become distracted by such foolish thoughts. Taking care to keep her face concealed at all times, Eli swiftly approached Lantern Waste.

Coming up on the familiar area, the young woman slowed her pace as she noticed to figures. The first, a faun, clad in a red scarf, with an umbrella and multiple packages in hand. The second, a small girl, no older than the tender age of twelve, she presumed. 'So this is her' Eli thought to herself. 'Finally, after all this time.' a small smile made it's way onto her face. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into view.

"Ah!" the two let out synchronized shrieks. Eli put her hands up, signaling that she meant no harm. "Hey, don't worry. I'm friendly." she let out lightly. The closer she got, the more details Eli was able to point out on the young queen. Her short brown hair fell just below her ears, and her nose was spotted with the cutest little freckles. Her brown eyes were wide, naturally giving her that pouting look. Overall, Eli found the future queen of Narnia utterly adorable.

"Who are you?" the little one inquired, curiosity laced in her small voice. Eli let out a chuckle. "My name is Elia, but I prefer Eli." She said as she pulled down her hood, letting her long, blonde braid all over her shoulder. The younger one nodded for a minute, before sticking her hand out. "I'm Lucy Pevensie." she spoke with an infectious smile. Looking down at the young girl's hand, Eli thought for a moment. It seemed like such a foreign gesture, shaking someone's hand. It was something she hadn't done for centuries, but nonetheless, she smiled at the younger girl, whom she had already grown attached to, and shook her hand.

Lucy seemed shocked for a moment, for she had attempted said gesture with Mr. Tumnus only a few moments ago, and he was completely clueless as to what she was doing. And yet here was this girl, more woman than not, who understood the gesture perfectly. She shrugged it off though, and turned to the faun, who had been watching the scenario play out with wide eyes.

"This is Mr. Tumnus," Lucy spoke to Eli, gesturing to the faun. "He had just finished inviting me for tea at his home." Suddenly, a thought jumped into Lucy's head. "Eli," she began. "Would you like to join us?" she asked with hopeful eyes. She wanted to know more about the woman standing before her. "O-oh I'm s-sure she has o-other t-thin–" Mr. Tumnus began. "Actually," Eli interrupted, furrowing her brow ever so slightly. "I would love to." While Lucy squealed in excitement, Eli was more focused on the faun, whose heart she could hear beating slightly faster than what was normal. Keeping this in mind, she decided she would have to make sure to watch the seemingly harmless faun. Putting on a smile, Mr. Tumnus offered his arm to Lucy, and began to lead them to his home. Taking one last look around, Eli pulled up the hood of her cloak, before following.

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"Here we are." Tumnus announced as they approached a small cave. Taking a quick glance around, Eli quickly scurried Lucy and herself into the faun's home. It was a cozy little place, carpets lining the floor, and lanterns lighting up the room. It was filled with books, and pictures, and welcomed all who entered. Lucy's face lit up at the sight, before noticing one of the pictures.

"A-ah." the faun stuttered. "That, is my father." he spoke lovingly. "He has a nice face." Lucy remarked. Looking over Lucy's shoulder, Eli inspected the picture. "You two look quite alike. Although, I guess that's to be expected." she chuckled. "Oh, no." Tumnus spoke, his tone suddenly becoming quite sad. "I'm afraid I'm not much like my father at all." Lucy merely shrugged off the comment, while Eli kept in mind his comment. The faun seemed nice enough, but in her long lifetime, Eli had learned to notice anything, and everything. Shaking her head, she came back around as she heard Tumnus speak. "–Before this dreadful winter."

"Winter's not all bad." Lucy responded. "There's ice skating," she spoke as she fiddled with several books. "snowball fights. Oh, and Christmas!"she exclaimed excitedly. Eli shook her head. "There hasn't been a Christmas in Narnia for over one hundred years." she spoke sadly. Oh how she missed the days when there was not a single, sad soul in all of Narnia.

Lucy gasped. "What? No presents for one hundred years?" shock spread through her voice. The elder girl let out a chuckle. "While presents are lovely and all," she began as Tumnus presented her and Lucy cups of tea. "My favorite part of Christmas was when I would walk through the forest, and hear the breeze sing tales of wonder, and joy, and I'd see the trees dance and sway to those songs. It was as if it were something, from a dream." Lucy stared up at the girl, eyes wide in wonder, while Eli allowed a soft smile to spread across her face.

Tumnus sighed in content, for he too remembered such times. "It's been a long winter. But you would have loved Narnia in the summer." He spoke as he shook his head lightly. Eli couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. Tumnus and Lucy took seats by the fire, but Eli remained standing. "We fauns, danced with the dryads all night, and we never grew tired." he spoke as he poured some milk into Lucy's tea. "The music, Ah! Such music." he exclaimed. "It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard." Eli chimed in.

A thought came to Mr. Tumnus's mind. "Would you like to hear some?" he asked the young girl who sat before him, trying his best to ignore the suspicious glances the elder girl threw at him. Lucy nodded her head eagerly as he picked up a pipe of sorts. Setting her tea cup down, Eli placed a protective hand on the child's shoulder, no one seemed to notice.

"Now," Tumnus began as he nervously fidgeted with the pipe. "Are you familiar with any Narnian lullabies?" he directed towards the smallest Daughter of Eve. Lucy shook her head no, while Eli grew more suspicious by the second. The faun let out a small sigh of relief, momentarily forgetting about the other person in the room. "Good, because this," he started as he brought the pipe to his mouth. "probably won't sound anything like one." And with that, he began to play.

An eerily calming melody sounded as Tumnus expertly played the tune. Eli tensed up at the sound, fighting the urge to shut her eyes. Seeing Lucy turn towards the fire she did the same, and heard Lucy let out a gasp as she watched the images that appeared in the flames. They showed battles, and centaurs riding along side each other, and Eli felt Lucy start to slouch underneath her touch. Realizing what was happening, she smacked the pipe out of his hands as a lion formed in the flames, and let out a mighty roar, but the damage had already been done. Lucy was fast asleep.

"What have you done?" Eli ground out between her teeth as she turned to look at the cowering faun. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." he said repeatedly as he cowered in the corner. Shaking her head, Eli began to shake the young girl awake, being sure to not move her too roughly. Lucy groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the elder girl's panicked face, she groggily spoke. "What happened?" Eli spoke rather quickly in response. "Lucy, listen to me very carefully, we HAVE to go. Now. It's not safe for you here."

Lucy turned, just noticing the faun she called a friend looking rather troubled. "Mr. Tumnus?" she asked worriedly. "What's wrong?" "I'm such an awful faun." he spoke, barely above a whisper. Eli repeatedly gazed around, making sure no one was approaching while she waited for Lucy. "You're the nicest faun I've ever met." Lucy spoke softly to her friend. "I'm sure you couldn't have done anything all that bad." Mr. Tumnus shook his head in response. "It's not something I've done, it's something I'm doing." Lucy craned her head in confusion. "He's kidnapping you." Eli spoke softly, laying a hand on the young girl she had grown to care for in the short time she had known her. Lucy shook her head, turning back to the faun, eyes wide in disbelief.

"The White Witch," Tumnus spoke shakily. "she's the one who makes it always winter. She said if we came across any humans, we-we're supposed to turn them in to her." "But, but, you wouldn't." Lucy spoke on the verge of tears as she grabbed onto Eli's hand for comfort. "I thought you were our friend." she said, disappointment evident in her voice. Mr. Tumnus suddenly straightened up. "Come on," he spoke as he stood. Eli stepped in front of Lucy, and gazed into his eyes. And there, she saw guilt, sadness, but most of all, determination.

With a quick nod of her head, she turned around, and dropped to Lucy's level. "Here," she spoke as she pulled off her black cloak. "Put this on. This way no one will see you." She finished as she swung it over the girl's shoulders, and pulled up the hood to cover her face. Standing to her full height, she and Mr. Tumnus each grabbed one of the girl's hands, before rushing out the door.

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"The Witch may already know your here." The faun spoke as they drew closer to Lantern Waste. "Her spies are everywhere." Eli quickened her pace as she held onto her companions. "Even some of the trees are on her side." she spoke softly. Mr. Tumnus suddenly halted as they reached the lantern. "Do you think you can find you're way back from here?" he asked pointedly. "I'll make sure she gets back." Eli spoke protectively, softly patting the faun's shoulder.

"Will you be alright?" Lucy asked, before the faun broke down into tears. Handing him her hankie, Lucy helped him wipe away the tears. "I'm sorry." he said as she attempted to calm him. "I'm so sorry." he sniffed his nose. "It's alright, Tumnus." Eli spoke softly, lightly rubbing his shoulder in a comforting manner. He nodded at her, before turning back to Lucy. "Here," he said as he attempted to give the younger girl back her hankie. "Keep it." Lucy responded while lightly chuckling. "You need it more than I do." Eli smiled softly as she watched their exchange.

Tumnus chuckled as he stared at the young girl's face. "No matter what happens, Lucy Pevensie, I am glad to have met you." He turned to face Eli. "And you, Eli. You both have made me feel warmer than I have in one hundred years." Eli came up behind Lucy as she stared at them both lovingly. "And I you, Tumnus the faun. May we meet again." Lucy sniffled lightly. Tumnus tapped her nose, before sending them off. "Now go," he said urgently. "Go!" And with that, Eli once again grabbed Lucy's hand, and fled.

When they approached the spot where Lucy had entered Narnia, she stopped and turned to Eli. She wrapped her arms around the older girl in a death like grip, not wanting to part from her. "Lucy," she said lightly. "You have to go. Don't worry. I'll watch over Tumnus. I won't let anything happen to him." she spoke, answering the girls unspoken worries. "Thank you." Lucy said, looking up at the girl. "Here's your cloak back." Taking back her cloak, Eli swung it over her shoulders, and smiled down at the girl. "Will I see you again?" Lucy questioned in a quivering voice. Bending down to one knee, Eli looked Lucy straight into her eyes. "As long as you are in Narnia, Lucy Pevensie, I will always, be able to find you." she spoke firmly, before pulling the young girl into another quick embrace. Separating, she nodded towards the entrance. "Go. I look forward to seeing you again." Lucy smiled, before running to in to the trees. Standing once again, Eli gave one sparing glance to the trees, and seeing Lucy nowhere to be found, she pulled up her hood, and ran into the forest once more.

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 **Hey, so I finally updated this thing. There's no excuse for why it took so long, I'm just a lazy piece of shit. Hope you enjoyed. I'll try to update soon, and by soon I mean not after months of procrastinating. Let me know what you thought. See ya!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heyo, so I'm trying this new thing, where I ACTUALLY update my stories in a timely fashion, so let's see how that works. Disclaimer: All rights go to their respective owners, I don't own anything but Eli, yada yada yada, you know how it goes. (A/n: Elia is pronounced like "Eli-uh" in case you were wondering.) ONTO THE CHAPTER!**

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Later that night, when Eli knew no one was watching, she made her way back to Mr. Tumnus's home. As she passed the trees, she ran her fingers along their bark, letting their memories flood through her head. This was something she found herself doing quite often. Anytime she would have the chance to take a stroll, she would let the forest around her share their memories with her, making her connection with Narnia even stronger, if that were possible.

Coming upon the home, Eli was able to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing that it was unharmed. She knocked on the door, and after a minute or so of waiting, the door swung open to reveal a more than surprised Mr. Tumnus. "E-Eli," he stuttered out. "what are you doing here? It's dangerous. You could be seen." he said while motioning for her to come inside.

Eli pulled down her hood after Mr. Tumnus had closed the door, before speaking. "I promised Lucy I would look after you." She began as they made their way towards the fire. Taking a seat, she continued. "Besides, I wanted to make sure you were okay. What kind of guardian would I be if I didn't look after the Narnians?" she said as a chuckle made its way out of her throat.

Mr. Tumnus let in a sharp intake of air. "So it's true." he spoke quietly, as though he couldn't trust his own ears. "You really are still alive." Eli let out another chuckle, though this one held no humor to it. "Of course I'm still alive. You could call that apart of my curse, I guess." Mr. Tumnus's eyes shined with sympathy as he stared at the girl. Shaking her head, Eli attempted to change the subject. "Don't worry about it." she spoke calmly. "Besides, I think I'm pretty lucky, having seen all the amazing things that I have. Anyway, I'm glad you're alright. Lucy would have my head if she were to come back to find you harmed at all." She spoke with another chuckle, this one much happier than the last." At the sound of his young friend's name, Mr. Tumnus brightened up.

Stretching out her limbs, Eli made to stand, Tumnus quickly following. "Oh, won't you please stay a little longer?" he pleaded. He really did enjoy the woman's company. Shaking her head, she responded. "I'm afraid not. Gotta keep on the move, being a human and all." Suddenly, a though jumped into her head. "But there is something I can do, to make sure that you're alright, even when I'm not around. May I?" she asked as she motioned to the faun's hand.

Tumnus nodded, and slowly let her take his hand in hers. Taking a deep breathe, Eli closed her eyes, and let her mind wander into his. After a minute, she opened her eyes, and let their hands fall to their sides. Tumnus's mouth opened and closed like a fish under water, before regaining his composure and speaking. "What did you do? HOW did you do it?" his voice came out lightly, clearly still shocked. Eli shrugged. "I made a connection between my mind and yours, so that if you're ever in danger, I'll known." Eli turned and made her way towards the door as she pulled her cloak over her head. "And as for how," she stopped at the door and turned to the fawn. A sly smirk made its way to her face as she spoke. "I've been in Narnia for over a millennium. You learn a trick or two." and with that, she yanked the door open, and disappeared into the cold winter night.

Eli spent the night sleeping in the trees, as per usual. One of the plus sides of her connection to the trees was that she was able to tell which ones were on her side, and which were not. And the ones who were gladly provided her shelter for the night. This night, she spent in a tree that was near Lantern Waste. She had a feeling that Lucy would be returning soon, so she did not want to miss the young girl. Eli also sensed, that Lucy would be bringing someone with her. She believed it to be one of the Sons of Adam, so this further ensured Eli's desire to be near Lantern Waste. And right she was.

For around mid-day, Eli was greeted with the warming sight of Lucy, clad in a pink robe, and candle in hand. _'Hmm, that's strange.'_ Eli thought to herself. _'I could have sworn a Son of Adam was going to enter.'_ Shaking her head, and passing it off as a simple mistake, Eli smiled as Lucy drew closer. Jumping down from the tree that had been her bed the night before, she muttered a quiet thanks and made her way towards the young girl.

"Eli!" Lucy shouted upon noticing her friend. Running towards her, Eli chuckled as Lucy embraced her in a warm embrace. "It's good to see you too." She spoke, unable to contain her laughter. Pulling away, Lucy asked the woman a question. "Have you seen Mr. Tumnus? Is he alright?" her voice slowly growing more panicked. Quick to calm the girl, Eli responded smoothly, "Mr. Tumnus is perfectly fine Lucy. And I checked in on him last night. He misses you."

Lucy visibly brightened. "Well, come on then! Let's go visit him!" she shouted excitedly as she grabbed onto her hand and began to pull her in the direction of the faun's home. Eli chuckled again, something she had been doing quite a bit more often since the child's arrival, and followed after her.

When they arrived, Lucy was quick to embrace Mr. Tumnus in a tight hug, just as she had done to Eli only moments earlier. Once again, the three had a cup of tea, and made sure to catch up on anything that they had missed. Lucy told the two native Narnians about her three siblings, and in return, Tumnus and Eli told tales of their beloved Narnia. Soon though, it was time for Lucy to depart, so with multiple hugs, and a teary-eyed Lucy saying goodbye to the faun for what may have been the tenth time, she and Eli walked out his door.

Holding hands, as had become custom for the two, they made their way back towards the lamp post. It was then that Eli sensed the dark aura of none other than the witch, although it was slightly old. She had been near here recently, and this made Eli tense, something Lucy noticed. "Is everything alright?" she asked the elder girl. Looking down at the girl, Eli forced a smile. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing." Lucy nodded believing the girl, and continued walking.

Spotting a familiar face in the distance, Lucy let out a gasp, and quickened her pace, pulling Eli with her. "Edmund?" she wondered, as they came up to the young boy. Said boy quickly turned around, and noticing someone with his sister, visibly tensed. Lucy ignored this as she ran to embrace him, exclaiming "Oh Edmund! You got in, too! Isn't it wonderful?" Edmund stumbled back slightly at the grip his sister had on him. Shoving her off of him, it was his turn to ask questions.

"Where have you been?" He asked pointedly. "And who's that?" he gestured to Eli, who had yet to remove her cloak. So she had been right, a Son of Adam had made his way into Narnia. But where had he been? "Oh," Lucy began, just remembering that Eli was there. "That's Eli. Eli! Take off your hood so Ed can see what you look like." she gestured towards her friend. Walking closer to the two, Eli pulled down her hood to reveal her kind yet intimidating face to the young boy. Ed's jaw dropped slightly at the woman's appearance, but quickly composed himself, and turned to his sister as he waited for her to answer his other question.

"And we were with Mr. Tumnus. He's fine." she spoke, as though this news would comfort her brother. "The White Witch hasn't found out anything him about him meeting me." Eli snorted. "Good thing, too. Aslan would have my neck if the Witch did anything to you." Lucy raised her brow's at hearing the name, and was about to ask who Aslan was, before Eli interrupted her. "I'll tell you later Lucy." The youngest Pevensie shrugged, then turned back to her brother.

"The White Witch?" he questioned, as Eli noticed his gaze grew wary. Leaning in, as though to divulge some huge secret, Lucy whispered, "She calls herself the queen of Narnia, but she really isn't." "Damn right she isn't." Eli chimed in, watching Edmund's facial expressions carefully.

"Kid, you okay?" Eli asked, as the boy had seemed to have gone visibly paler. Snapping out of whatever daze he had been in, Ed glared at the elder girl. "Of course I'm not! It's freezing!" he whined as he wrapped his arms around his body. Rolling her eyes, Eli provided a sarcastic response. "You're telling me. Try living in this weather for over a century. Gets old _real_ quick." Lucy chuckled at Eli's statement.

Ed, growing easily frustrated, shouted "How do we get out of here?!" Eli groaned. "Hush kid, you don't want to be drawing attention in these parts of Narnia. Come on. Lucy and I'll show you the way." Pulling up her hood and taking a hold of Lucy's hand, who then took hold of her brother's arm, they made their way towards the lamp post yet again. When they got to their destination, Eli and Lucy quickly hugged their goodbyes, and Eli gave a quick nod to Edmund, who in turn rolled his eyes. _'Not the sentimental type, I see.'_ she thought. As she watched them retreat into the tree line, Eli couldn't help the feeling of unease growing in her stomach. And all the while, she kept asking herself one question, _'Where was Edmund?'_

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 **So that was chapter three. Sorry that it was a little bit shorter, but I thought that this was a good place to stop. Let me know what you thought, if I should fix anything. Advice it greatly appreciated, just don't be a dick. Adios.**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, I'm back with another chapter. Thanks to everyone that left a review, it really boosts my self esteem ;) Disclaimer: I'm not C.S. Lewis, so I obviously don't own Narnia. Also, quick A/N, I'm still fairly new to the whole writing thing, and I'm also pretty young(14) so please bear with me while I attempt to not suck at all this. Thanks.**

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As morning set over Narnia, Eli found herself traveling towards Mr. Tumnus's home. As she passed the through the trees, she couldn't help but to feel uneasy. It was as though a dark aura had been cast upon the whole forest, not that it was a particularly new feeling, But still, Eli sensed that something terrible was to happen that day.

Shaking her head, Eli focused on her surroundings. To most, all they would see was a forest in the midst of winter, but Eli saw much more. The snow fell upon the trees slowly and softly, as though it was afraid to harm their branches. The ground made a slight crunch with every step Eli took, creating what sounded almost like a soft melody combined with the whistle of the wind. Even in this dreadful winter, Eli still found so much beauty in the world around her.

As she reached Tumnus's door, a sense of uneasiness settled in her stomach. With a slight knock, the door cautiously opened as Mr. Tumnus came into view. He breathed a sigh of relief before quickly shuffling her in, and promptly shutting the door behind her. Once in, Eli took notice of the fact that she and the faun were not alone. In front of her stood a beaver, one she had seen multiple times while hiding out in the trees. With a slight nod in his direction, Eli turned to face her friend.

"What's going on?" she inquired. Tumnus was shaking, clearly frightened. "Th-the witch," he began as he made his way towards the two. "She's coming for me." Eli tensed, before quickly approaching the faun. Taking his hands in hers, stared into his eyes while speaking firmly. "I won't let her do anything to you, my dear friend. I'll make sure you are safe." Tumnus appeared to be on the verge of tears as he shook his head.

Addressing the two, he spoke solemnly. "I-I'm afraid there's no-nothing you can do f-for me." His voice broke repeatedly as he stepped away from Eli. "She _will_ find me, no matter what. But there is something you two can do for me." he turned around to grab something off of his wooden table that had provided many years of great use, before walking over towards the beaver. Bending down to his level, the faun opened his hands to reveal the hankie Lucy Pevensie had given him the night before.

"Give this to Lucy Pevensie." he instructed his friends as he handed the hankie over. "Tell her what happened to me." Standing once more, he turned towards Eli to address her. "Watch over her." he instructed. "Protect her. And no matter what happens, keep that little girl safe. She and her family are our only hope." Sighing, Eli suddenly pulled the faun into a tight embrace, not wanting to let her friend face what was undoubtedly to come. Pulling apart, Tumnus sniffed slightly, before forcing a smile at the girl.

Eli turned to the beaver. "Come on. We need to leave." he frowned, but followed her none the less. And as they approached the door, they cast a brief glance behind them one last time, before walking into the cold.

The beaver led the way as they sank further and further into the woods. Everything around them seemingly portrayed the way the two felt. The trees seemed to slouch in defeat, and the wind seemed to stand still, as though it were afraid to move, in fear of falling. But as they continued, they made slight conversation. "So," Eli spoke whilst still facing forward. "what should I call you?" the beaver chuckled slightly before responding. "Mr. Beaver will do just fine, child. And what should I call you?"

It was Eli's turn to laugh at his nickname for her. "Everyone calls me Eli. And I can assure you, I am far older than you." Mr. Beaver grinned at realizing his mistake. He knew her age was beyond anything he could imagine, but after all these years, she had still retained the appearance of a sixteen year old girl. Suddenly, Eli stopped, and took in a sharp intake of breathe. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and what she saw broke her heart.

The witch stood over Mr. Tumnus as her wolves tore his beloved home to shreds. Eli had to hold back tears as she watched them tear apart books that had no doubt belonged to his family for generations, as they knocked over countless vases and pictures, and shattered them to bits. And all the while, the witch stood there, watching this all take place, with a wicked smile on her face. Eli could feel Tumnus's fear, and, reaching through their mind link, sent him feelings of peace, and comfort, and let him know that he was not alone. Sensing this magic, Eli watched as the witch turned to Tumnus with a snarl, before bringing her hand down on him, and knocking the faun out cold.

With a gasp, Eli's eyes rolled back to their original place. Placing a light hand against hers, Mr. Beaver looked up at her, silently asking what she had seen. Holding back tears, Eli spoke. "It's Tumnus. The witch took him." An eerie silence fell over the two as they let this new information sink in. Time seemed to stand still as everything stopped. The trees stopped swaying, and the wind all but vanished. It was as though the whole forest was taking a moment to mourn at this new information.

Shaking her head, Eli let out an uneven sigh. Turning to look at her companion, she nodded towards a tree. "Come on, our best chance is to hide until Lucy returns. I have a feeling she will not be coming alone, though." Mr. Beaver, coming out of his trance-like state, nodded, before making his way up the tree. Eli followed, pulling herself through the branches, climbing with the ease of a monkey. Reaching a reasonable height, she swung one leg over a branch and leaned her back against the tree trunk, with Mr. Beaver sitting on the branch next to her. And as the tree softly sang a calming melody, they waited.

* * *

About an hour later, Eli's eyes shot open, as she felt the presence of four people appear in Narnia, two of the felt familiar, but the others did not. Turning towards her companion, she only needed to utter two words for him to know what she had felt. "They're here."

As they made their way down the tree, Eli couldn't help but feel solemn, knowing she would have to give the heartbreaking news to Lucy. Sighing, she jumped from a branch, and planted her feet firmly on the ground. "Let's go." she instructed. "The first place Lucy will take them is to Mr. Tumnus's." Nodding his head, they began their walk. They had gone a reasonable distance from the home, so as to not be seen or felt by the witch, so Eli suspected that Lucy and her family would get their slightly before them. And as usual, she was right.

For when they neared the house, Eli could her the arguing of two unfamiliar voices. She made to approach the family, but Mr. Beaver stuck a hand out in front of her. Staring up at her face hidden beneath the hood of her cloak, he gestured towards the bickering brother and sister. "Best you stay here, hidden in the trees. Don't want to risk you being seen by any of the witch's spies." Groaning jokingly, Eli nodded her head, as she watched Mr. Beaver slowly approach them.

"Psst!" she heard him say, as the family quickly stopped speaking. Ironically, a bird tweeted just as he did. "Did that bird, just "psst" us?" Eli heard the eldest sister say. She held back a laugh as she watched the family exit the house. They jumped in shock as Mr. Beaver cracked a branch, and rustled a bush. Eli rolled her eyes. _'He couldn't have been a bit more quiet?'_ she thought to herself as she suppressed a chuckle. Mr. Beaver made his way out from behind a snow covered rock, and the family visible relaxed at this revelation.

"It's," Lucy began as they made their way closer. "It's a beaver." As they slowly made their way towards him, the eldest brother stuck his hand out, as they he had food in it, and began trying to coax Mr. Beaver closer to him. Eli let out a silent chuckle when the Pevensies jumped after Mr. Beaver spoke. "Well I ain't gonna smell it! If that's what ya want."

Lucy giggled while her brother pulled his hand back, cautiously apologizing. Shifting slightly, Mr. Beaver spoke in a serious tone. "Lucy Pevensie?" he inquired to the giggling girl. Quickly silencing her laughter, she approached the creature with wide eyes. "Y-Yes?" she spoke softly.

Without speaking, Mr. Beaver reached out a hand, and in it, he held the white hankie Mr. Tumnus hand given him before. Taking it from him, Lucy gazed at it curiously, before a look of realization spread across her young face. "Hey, that's the hankie I gave to Mr.–" she said before she was interrupted.

"Tumnus." Mr. Beaver finished for her. "He got it to me just before they took him." Sadness crept it's way into his voice. "Is her alright? Where's Eli?" Lucy inquired, glancing around. Glancing around, Mr. Beaver spoke barely above a whisper, "Further in." before making his way back to Eli. Joining her side, they watched the siblings have what appeared to be a heated conversation. Looking up to her, he whispered, "Do you think they'll trust us?" Glancing back over to the family, Eli shrugged before responding. "Lucy trusts us, well, me at least, and they trust Lucy, so I guess we'll just have to hope for the best." Mr. Beaver nodded, before heading back towards the family, and interrupting whatever they were arguing about.

"Everything alright?" he asked from atop the rock he had been behind moments before. Turning around, the blond haired boy spoke first. "Yes. We were just talking." Glancing around, Mr. Beaver spoke in a hushed voice. "That's best left for safer quarters." Before turning around, and heading towards Eli once more. Lucy faced her siblings, and spoke in whisper, "He means the trees." before they all followed after him, each glancing around them.

As they grew closer to where Eli stood, Lucy suddenly rushed her way, having spotted the familiar black cloak. "Eli!" she practically shouted as she jumped into the girl's arms, her brother failing at grabbing a hold of her arms. Eli chuckled quietly as she returned Lucy's tight embrace. "It's good to see you too, Lucy." she said as she let go of the young girl. Lucy went to speak again, but Eli quickly brought a finger to her own mouth, in a way of telling her not to speak. "We'll talk later." She whispered. "It's not safe to speak out in the open here." Nodding in understanding, Lucy held onto her hand as they followed after Mr. Beaver.

As they passed through between two large hill sides, the eldest Pevensies took in their surroundings with wide eyes. All around them, stood trees, and hills, and large stones, all covered in pure white. They hadn't seen snow like this in their entire lives, and they couldn't help but be entranced by the dangerous beauty that it held. As the started to fall behind, Eli glanced over her shoulder to address them. "Don't fall behind. It's dangerous to be out here after nightfall. Taking one last glance around, they quickly followed them through an arch between two large walls.

As night began to fall, a small house made of twigs and branches came into view. "Oh, blimey!" Mr. Beaver announced as they drew closer. "Looks like the old girl's got the kettle on! Nice cup o' rosie lee." Smiling brightly, Lucy commented to the beaver "It's lovely." Humbly, he responded "it's merely a trifle." Eli smiled at the interaction, before commenting offhandedly "Nicer than my home." Looking up at her, Lucy inquired "Where do you live?" Chuckling, Eli responded lightly. "I sleep in the trees. You'd be surprised by how comfortable they are." Lucy shrugged, as they reached the house.

Mrs. Beaver came rushing out the door to scold her husband. "Beaver? Is that you? If I find out you've been hanging with Badger again I'll–" she abruptly stopped as five humans came into view. "O-oh, she breathed out. "Well, those aren't badgers." Eli smirked at the woman's awestruck face. "Well, I never thought I'd see this day." she spoke, sounding on the verge of tears. She abruptly turned to her husband, smacking him on the arm as she spoke. "Look at my fur. You couldn't give me ten minutes warning?"

Eli stepped forward to speak, effectively cutting off Mr. Beaver from saying anything. "Well, in my opinion, you look lovely Mrs. Beaver." she said as she pulled down her hood, revealing a warm smile. Mrs. Beaver blushed( _A/N: Can beavers blush? Idk.)_ before speaking. Well, don't just stand there, come inside, the lot of ya. And as they all made their way inside, Eli stood back with Mr. Beaver. They both couldn't help but notice Edmund staring off somewhere in the distance. "Enjoying the scenery are we?" Mr. Beaver asked, bringing Edmund out of his trance. Ignoring his question, Edmund made his way inside, Mr. Beaver following. But Eli stayed back for a minute, glancing up at where Edmund had been. And as she stared at the two large mountains, Eli thought to herself one question. _'Why was Edmund looking towards the witch's castle?'_ But once again, she shook her head, and ducked inside the house, pulling the door shut behind her.

* * *

 **So, that's chapter four. I hope you liked it. Sorry if I kinda suck, I'm really bad at the whole imagery thing. English class has never been my strong point, haha. But yeah, let me know what you thought, if you have any advice, that would be great. SEE YA!**


	5. Author's Note

Alrighty people, I'm back with this story, but I must warn you, I'm gonna be making some changes. Such as the name, as you may have noticed. I'm keeping the chapters that have been posted the same, because I'm lazy, but I've recently been reinspired to continue with this story, but with a few new twists that I originally hadn't planned. I hope you all still choose to continue reading this story, but I understand if you don't. But I hope you all enjoy the revamped Tears to Shed!


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